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Disclaimer: I don't own the Dukes, and no infringements intended.


POT SHOTS

CHAPTER 16

TORNADO WATCH

It had been almost one year to the day that Sandy Maverick left Hazzard, and Bo. To look at him now, a person would have never believed that he had been shot, almost died, and left unable to move. He had made a complete recovery, a genuine miracle, and there wasn't a day that went by that everyone in the Duke household didn't say a prayer of thanks. He walked without the aide of anyone or anything, without a limp, and at his pre-shooting speed. He could run and jump into the General the same way he always had. The day that he drove General Lee again for the first time had been one of the happiest days in both Bo and Luke's lives. They owned the car jointly, but Bo was the one who rightfully belonged behind the wheel. If he had been driving that dreaded day, he wouldn't have been shot. Luke still thought about that a lot, and Bo still rebuked him, saying that it happened the way it was meant to be. Bo reminded Luke that he might have been killed, considering their height difference, but his cousin thought he wouldn't have been shot at all. Finally, they agreed to stop arguing over it. What was done was done, and they couldn't change it. Things had worked out. Bo re-gained complete control over the use of his hands and fingers. He worked side by side in the fields right alongside his uncle and cousin, trying to make up for all the extra work they did when he couldn't. He even spoke without any type of a stutter or impediment. If you didn't know it had happened, looking at Bo wouldn't have told you, and he was as popular as ever with the girls, though he wasn't quite as interested in them anymore.

Yet, no matter how good Bo looked, felt, or moved, it had happened, and there was no one in the Duke family that could deny it. It had changed all of them. It gave them an appreciation for each day that they were given together, and made them an even stronger family than they'd been in the past. Bo told them all the time how much he loved them, knowing that it was their love that saw him through. They could have locked him up, made him some institution's problem, but they didn't. They'd never given up hope, even when there didn't seem to be much hope to grab on to. The boys were more careful, no longer taking silly risks with their lives. They couldn't tell themselves anymore that nothing would happen. It already had.

Bo became much more thoughtful of those around him. He was less wild. It was like he had grown up. He managed to retain some of his child-like innocence, but it wasn't quite as dominant as it had once been, and in some ways, those who loved him most, missed it. It was a quality that endeared Bo to a lot of people.

There was something else that was different about Bo, too. The eyes that always twinkled now held a tint of sadness. The reason why was no mystery.

Twelve months had passed since the Texas Twister had blown out of town, and Bo missed her. She never came back, and Bo never got up enough nerve to call her. After enough time went by, he doubted that she wanted to hear from him, thinking that she would have called if she did. He assumed that in her absence, she realized that she hadn't been in love with him after all.

Sandy Maverick had picked up the phone a hundred times. She told herself she just wanted to check on Bo's progress, make sure he was doing ok. She didn't need a voice to know it was just an excuse, but it made her feel better. She'd even dialed a few of the numbers on occasion, only to slam the receiver down. She'd told Bo that he had developed a dependency on her that didn't qualify as being in love. Having not heard from him, she guessed he figured that out, and had gone on with his life, which didn't include her. She didn't know what she would have said to him anyway, and she'd been busy with the ranch since her mom's passing. She'd only just recently returned to her true profession, but she no longer traveled too far from home. Anywhere she went had to be within driving distance to the ranch. She had responsibilities there.

Given the amount of time involved, Luke knew for sure that when Bo told Sandy he loved her, he'd meant it. His cousin had never before stayed interested in a girl longer than six months, especially one that wasn't even around. He'd always said there were too many to be exclusive, though he never saw more than one at a time. He just didn't keep them around too long or they didn't keep him. There'd been a few that might have lasted a while for Bo, but the girl called it quits, leaving a devastated Duke boy to direct his affections elsewhere. Now, no one could get his attention. The Texas Tornado had taken Bo's heart with her back to the Lone Star state.

Luke decided it was time for an intervention. He didn't tell Bo anything, not wanting him to be disappointed if it didn't work out. If it did, it would just be that much more of a surprise. Luke picked up the phone and dialed the number that she had once given them. A lady answered, announcing to the caller that he had reached The Southern Comfort, but it wasn't Sandy's voice.

"Ah yes, is Sandy in?"

"May I tell her who's calling?"

"An old friend. I'd really like to surprise her," Luke said.

"One moment please."

After a short delay, he heard the voice he'd been waiting for. "This is Sandy Maverick. How may I help you?"

"Sandy, this is Luke Duke."

"Luke! Oh my gosh, it's been a long time. How are you?" she flooded the questions at him until a serious thought entered her mind. "Is Bo all right?" she asked, unable to hide the concern in her voice.

Luke grinned, thinking it was a good sign. She still remembered him, and she still cared about him. "Yeah, Bo is just fine. He's great."

Sandy sighed, relieved by the news. "I'm glad to hear that," she said. "Now, Luke Duke, what can I do for you?"

"Well, I was calling to invite you to the Hazzard Homecoming. You were supposed to be here last year for it, but, well...," Luke didn't know how to quite say it. He didn't want to remind her of the circumstances that forced her to leave early.

"It's ok, Luke."

"Well anyway, it's a big shin dig here in Hazzard. Lots of things going on, and it's always a lot of fun. It's kind of like a big fair, but we use the theme of homecoming, and you'd be surprised how many people who have left Hazzard come back. Some do every year, some once in a while. Guess it makes it easier to make plans to come home when there's a specific date."

"Well gee, Luke, that's real nice of you to invite me, but Hazzard's not my home."

"That may be true, but you were responsible for making our family whole again, so to us, you'll always be part of the family, and you'll always have a home here."

Sandy paused, tears stinging her eyes. Bo Duke had an uncanny ability to melt her heart with some of the things he said. Now, she knew that it ran in the family. "I think that's one of the nicest things that anyone's ever said to me."

"Well anyway, we all just miss you so much, and we'd love to see you, if you could make it."

"You know, I'm due for a vacation. I'll be there!" she told him.

"Really? Yee-haw!" Luke yelled into the phone, then apologized if he had caused any permanent hearing loss. "This time, you gotta stay at the farm, no hotel room. You're coming for a visit not to work."

"Ok."

"Really? That was too easy? What's the catch?" Luke asked.

"None. When should I be there?"

He wanted to tell her the sooner the better, but opted to give her the actual dates instead. They said goodbye, promising to see each other in a couple of weeks.

Luke ran to the room he shared with Bo, anxious to tell him who was coming to the Homecoming. "Guess."

"I don't know. Coy or Vance?"

"No," Luke said.

"Cousin Jeb?" Bo asked.

"I'll give you a hint. It's not a man, and she's not a relative."

"Luke, that could be anybody."

"Okay, I didn't want to make it too easy, but this ought to give it away. She's from Texas."

Bo shot a look toward his cousin. "Not funny Luke."

"It wasn't meant to be," he replied.

"Sandy?" Bo asked.

"Ghee whiz, give the boy a prize," Luke laughed.

"Why would Sandy be coming to the Hazzard homecoming?" Bo asked, completely confused.

"I called and invited her."

"Why?" Bo asked, thinking that she was coming as Luke's personal guest, and not liking that at all.

"Cause after all this time, it was obvious that you weren't gonna call her." Luke said.

"I don't understand," Bo said.

Luke sighed and went to sit down on the edge of Bo's bed that was once again resting alone. Luke's had been moved back to its original place months ago when Bo no longer needed someone sleeping right next to him. "Bo, I know you love her. It's time you found out how she really feels. Chances are you're both miserable, and both too stubborn to do anything about it."

"You called her for me?"

"No, I called her for Rosco. Of course, I called her for you."

"Oh! I guess I thought..." Bo stumbled, looking incredibly guilty.

"You thought I called her for me?" Bo nodded. "Ya know, if you didn't feel so strongly about her, I gotta admit, I might take my own chance, but I'd never do anything like that to hurt you, not after I came that close to losing you. Bo, you're back. I just want you to be happy."

Bo grabbed Luke in a hug, which Luke returned. "I love you, Luke. Thanks."

"I love you, too. Now, make the most of the time you've got."

"Oh I will," he assured him. "I've gotten very good at that," and he felt Luke shudder at his last comment, knowing that he'd went through hell right along with him.


Sandy hadn't been so excited since before her mom had left them a little over a year ago. She'd been so caught up in the ranch that she'd left no time for herself. In a way, it was better that way, less time to think about all that was gone. Her mom's passing had been a lot more than losing a parent. With both her mama and daddy gone, it meant that their children, the three boys and Sandy, were now first generation Mavericks, and that came with its own set of responsibilities. It was like losing her anchors in life, the line to her past, and with it much of the carefree life she had always enjoyed. It meant giving up her own career, only recently going back into the field, but in a limited capacity. Most of all, it meant losing Bo.

Luke's call had been just what she needed. She was entitled to a vacation, and she was rather surprised that her brother, Tommy, told her he thought it was a good idea. While Sandy's life had become less care-free in the last twelve months, in some ways her brothers' had become more so. All of them had changed, but it seemed that the Maverick boys had changed for the better. She believed that they had carried the burden of making their parents proud while they'd been alive. Certain standards were expected from them, where as Sandy, being a girl, didn't have as many. She was expected to be flighty and free, and right that minute, that's exactly how she felt, tearing up the southern roads heading for a place she thought of as home.

As thrilled as she was to be back in Georgia, she cautioned herself not to jump to conclusions. Almost four hundred days had passed since she'd last seen any of the Dukes, and a lot could have happened in that much time; all she had to do was look at herself to confirm that theory. She reminded herself that in those months, Bo had never called. In fact, he hadn't been the one who called to invite her back, either; Luke had. The oldest Duke boy told her that they thought of her as family, meaning the entire family, but he had never mentioned anything specifically about Bo. The invitation may simply have been their way of thanking her for what she had done. Assuming that Bo still felt the same way he had a year ago was dangerous. As far as she knew, he might be with someone else. Heck, he might even be married. Just because she loved him didn't mean that he still loved her. She had to remember that she was there to see all of the Dukes not just the blonde. The voice in the back of her head suddenly reappeared, having been absent for the last twelve months. It was laughing at her, saying that she wasn't fooling anyone, including herself. She wasn't even in Hazzard, yet, and Bo Duke was already taking control of her body and her mind.

When she pulled up the drive, she saw Daisy first. The Duke beauty was beating an old rug, and was engulfed in a dust cloud. Sandy laughed at the girl's surprised expression, first from the dust then from seeing her. Throwing down her torture device, Daisy ran out to meet her.

"Oh honey, it's so good to see you. Everyone's so excited that you were able to come," Daisy told her, hugging her.

"I've been like a little kid waiting for Christmas ever since Luke invited me," she confessed. "I've really missed all of you."

"We've missed you, too, missy," a voice said from behind her. Letting go of Daisy, she found Uncle Jesse and Luke standing there.

"Uncle Jesse, how the heck are you?" she asked.

"Just fine, sweetheart. How are you?"

"I'm ok," she said, losing a little of the booming enthusiasm that her voice usually held. She then turned to Luke. Without saying a word, she grabbed him with a force that surprised even her. "I can't tell you how much your invitation meant to me."

"Well, we can't tell you how much you're accepting it meant to us. We've missed you, all of us," Luke said, hugging her back with as much force as she was squeezing him with.

"How's your family?" Uncle Jesse asked.

"They're doing pretty good," Sandy told him. "My oldest brother, Tommy," she said and smiled, amused that he had gone back to using the name he'd had as a child instead of the more sophisticated variation he'd adopted in the business world, "he moved back with his family a few months ago. Me and him run the ranch now. Bobby's still in Houston, and Timmy's still in Dallas, but they come home for the weekends a lot now. I think Bobby might be getting married, but all in all, we're all ok."

"So, you been anywhere exciting lately? Had any rich or famous patients?" Daisy asked, still intrigued by the girls' adventures.

"No, I can't travel anymore. Actually, I just went back to work a couple of months ago, but now I only work with patients that are within driving distance to the ranch."

The Dukes looked at each other, hearing the disappointment in her voice, knowing how much she loved her job.

"Don't you miss it?" Daisy asked.

"Yeah, I do, but the Good Lord gave me other things to do right now. I especially miss the patients. Speaking of which, how's Bo?"

She didn't realize that while she'd been talking, her ex-patient had snuck up behind her. Leaning down so that his mouth was next to her ear, he said, "I'm doing great, darlin."

At the same time, Luke pointed to his cousin and told her to see for herself.

Sandy whirled around to find Bo Duke standing directly in front of her. She couldn't believe what she saw. He was completely recovered, at least so it looked from the outside. She'd known he was good looking when she was working with him, but this creature was the most handsome man she'd ever seen in her life. She'd forgot how much she missed that million dollar smile, and the way his eyes danced. "Wow! You look great! You really are...tall," she obeserved, realizing that she was seeing him for the first time at full height. Before, he'd either been sitting down or leaning on something which kept him from achieving his full 6'3" altitude.

"And you are just as pretty as ever," he told her.

"I've missed that smile, Bo."

"I've missed you, Sandy." Suddenly remembering something, he exclaimed, "Oh! Here, these are for you," as his hand came from behind his back to reveal a dozen long stemmed roses.

"They're beautiful."

"Just like you."

"Bo, you didn't have to do this," she told him, remembering that finances were tight the last time she'd been there. She hated to tell him that he could have saved his money. Since that day at the pond when he'd slipped a flower in her hair, the Camellia had replaced roses as her favorite.

"Hey!" he said, changing the subject. "You know, I was the patient! Don't I get a hug?"

"Of course," she said, stepping into his outstretched arms which closed around her as soon as she entered. Sandy breathed in his wonderful scent, leaning into the strong chest. Bo stroked her hair, seriously contemplating never letting her go.